Gearing.



lPATBIYTTED JUNE 23, 1903.

M. F. RONDET.

GEARIN G.

APPLIoA'rIoN Hmm Dno. z, 1902.

IO MODEL.

spaceS.

Patented June 23, 1903.

ATENT MAURICE FRANQOIS RONDET, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 781,502, dated June 23, 1903. Application filed December 2, 1902. Serial No. 133,645. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it 77m3/ concrn:

Be it known that I, MAURIOE FRANoIs RONDET, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved change-speed gear for general use, but particularly destined as a change-speed gear for motor-Vehicles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a Vertical axial section of a changespeed gear according to this invention. Figs. 2 and 3 represent, on a larger scale, a trans- Verse and longitudinal section, respectively, of the principal member of the improved mechanism.

Accordingto this invention hollow gear- Wheels of different dianieters b c (Z are journaled upon ball-bearings e between Vertical standards f and g. The driving-shaft a, carrying a pulley h or any other convenient means for receiving and transmitting motion, is mounted in the outside supports. The inner standards g are hollow in their conters, so as to form around the shaft a annular The pinions Z), c, and d are also hollow, but their internal diameters are less than that of the openings in the standard f. The outer parts of the inner surfaces of the pinions b c d are widened or beveled for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The device which effects the change of speed consists of an expansible wedge monnted on the driving-shaft a and adapted to move with the shaft longitudinally, so as to be brought in engagement with one or other of the gear- Wheels b c cl. This expansible wedge is constituted by a double cam or cams i, upon which are mounted semicircularlor curved wedge-platesj, arranged concentrically about the shaft a. These wedge-plates j can be provided with grooved internal surfaces, so as to diminish their frictional adherence to the cams Their external surfaces, which are adapted to come in contact with the hubs of the gear-pinions,can be provided with grooves parallel to the axis of rotation, so as to insure a firm engagement'with the pinions. Disks 7a, arranged on each side of the cams z' and connected through rods Z, prevent lateral displacement of the wedge-platesj during their motion. The extent of motion, and consequently the extent of expansion of these Wedge-platesj, is limited by rods or stops m and n.

The longitudinal motion ordisplacement of the device can be effected in any suitable manner'-as, for instance, by means of pinions of which one engages with a rack-bara integral with or connected with the transmission-shaft a.

It is evident that the longitudinaldisplacement of the device could be effected by means of a sleeve integral with the cams and sliding upon the shaft, and thus moving the wedge device.

In the construction shown by way of example in the drawings the pinions b o d mesh, respectively, with other pinionsp r 8 for the transmission of different speeds to the motorvehicle or part driven. One of these pinions, p, may act as an intermediate gear meshing with a pinion q, keyed ontothe same shaft f as the other driven pinionsr and 8, and thus serve for the reversal of motion.

The operation is as follows: Upon rotation of the driving shaft a to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the cams tend to press outwardly the wedge-platesj until the lateral faces of the latter abut against the stops m 'm and n n, which limit the extent of expansion of the Wedges. This diameter is smaller than the internal diameter of the openings in the standards g g, but larger than 'the inner diameter of the openings in the -pinions Z) c d. Consequently when the shaft ctis displaced lon-gitudinally the wedges j pass freely through the openings inthe standards g, but wedge against the internal circurnference of the hubs of the pinions b c d as soon as they are brought in contact with either of' these hubs, and they will adhere or bind against said hub the more the greater the speed of rotaition of the shaft is increased. Thereby a progressive engagement of the transmission members is insured upon making a change of speed and at the same time avoids shocks,and breakage of the teeth of the gear- 4pinions is prevented or minimized. The entry of the Wedges into the opcnings 'of the IOO pinions b c d is facilitated by the beveled or widened surfaces at the sides of these openings.

What I olaim as my invention, and desirc to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A change-speed gear comprising hollow transmission-pinions, a transmission-shaft, a cam device mounted on said shaft, and an expansible wedge consisting of Wedge-p1ates loosely mounted upon the cam device and adapted to be brought into contact with the inner surfaces of one or other of the hollow transmission-pinions so as to effect the engagementthereof with the transmission-shaft, and means for limiting the motion of the Wedge-plates.

MAURICE FRANQOIS RONDET.

Witnesses:

LOUIS SULLIGER, EDWARD P. MAOLEAN. 

